Sticking Together
by Ixcalia
Summary: Wammy's House is being forced to shut down! 3 certain orphans are going to be separated if something isn't done. Mello, Matt, and Near only have each other, but can a certain detective keep it that way? Rating just to be safe!
1. Chapter 1

Quick summary: Wammy's House has received some terrible news. They're being forced to shut down! This is horrible for three certain orphans. Ten year old Mello, nine year old Matt, and 4 year old Near have become close like brothers. Now, they find out that they may have to separate from one another. How could things get any worse for the three orphans who have already had a miserable life? Can a particular detective find a way to keep the top three children prodigies together?

Well, here's the thing. In my story, since Near is so young, I don't think it would be right to make Near number one…I think people humiliate poor Mello and Matt enough. Of course, Mello and Near aren't rivals either, considering Near's so young. Well, here it is.

Chapter 1:

"How can this be?" Roger asked quietly, looking at the man standing in front of him. "How can you do this to all of these children? You should be ashamed."

The man looked at Roger with a look of sympathy. It was obvious that he didn't want to do this. "I'm sorry. It's my job. You're too far into debt to keep the orphanage open. I have to shut it down."

Roger sighed and folded his hands in front of his face. It was true that they were in debt. They had accepted more kids than they could afford and now they were paying the price. Roger supposed there was nothing he could do. "What will I do with the children?"

"You'll have to send them to other orphanages around England. That's all I can tell you. You will have the next two weeks to make the necessary arrangements. I'm very sorry." The man tilted his hat in farewell and walked out of Roger's office before any argument could be made.

Roger closed his eyes sadly and shook his head. How could he have let this happen? All of the children were kids who had some sort of a miserable childhood. They were finally beginning to heal. Roger frowned. There were three children in particular that were beginning to open up, if only to one another. Now, Roger would have to possibly split them apart. He would have to call Watari immediately.

"Oh, come on Matt! Take it easy on the poor kid!" Mello called, taking a large bite of his chocolate bar. He couldn't contain a laugh as Matt gave a toothy grin and purposely hit the wrong buttons.

"Ah, take it easy on me Near!" Matt yelled. He was obviously faking it. Mello rolled his eyes at the obviousness. Matt's opponent didn't seem to notice though. Little Near gave an adorable smile as he finally defeated Matt's character with his life nearly gone. "Aww," Matt mumbled 'disappointedly'. "Good game Near."

"I won," Near murmured excitedly. He kept his voice down but it was obvious that he was happy with his win, even if Matt did let him win. Near didn't seem to notice that his win wasn't real. "Can we play again?" he asked, looking at Matt with his large yet dull black eyes.

Matt laughed. "We've already played thirteen games, Near! Aren't you done yet?" Near cocked his head at Matt and shook his head. "Okay then! We'll go to twenty. Fair enough?"

Near seemed to think it over carefully and nodded. Mello snickered. "I don't believe that you wanted to quit Matt." Matt gave Mello another grin.

"You act as if I'm addicted or something," Matt said, starting a new game and choosing his character. "If Near wants to play, I'll gladly play with him. I could stop whenever I want!"

"Yeah, sure," Mello laughed quietly. Matt, Near, and himself were all close to one another. They were all broken children, complete geniuses, and completely despised social interactions with people. They were all exceptions to one another of course.

Mello had lived with his drunken father and drug addicted mother. He hadn't gone to school for most of his life, not until he had arrived at Wammy's House. His parents just wouldn't allow it. He had been the mistake in the family. He had been the result of his father raping his mother one miserable night. After Mello had been born, he was always the target of both his mother and father. Mello had run away after a particularly bad beating when he was six. His father came home one night, drunk as always, but there had been something different that night. His father had come home with a gun that he had bought that day, for what, Mello wasn't completely sure. He stormed into the house, waving the gun about, but he didn't use it. Instead, he grabbed a knife and walked into Mello's room without any warning. He forced Mello onto his bed and ripped his shirt off and began to slide the knife across his back forcefully. He had carved words into Mello's back, and four years later, Mello still didn't dare look to see what it said. Mello shuddered at the memory. After that, he had left to live on his own. He was found about three months later and was taken in by Wammy's House. Wammy's had learned that Mello had gained a serious anger problem while he had lived with his parents, but once he had become friends with Matt, and later Near, he had calmed down quite a bit.

Matt had been here before Mello. He was abandoned by his parents when he was only four years old. Matt had always loved video games and computers. Always. Even when he was young, all he would do was play video games. According to Matt, that's why his parents abandoned him as they did. Matt had woken up one morning and walked out of his room to get breakfast. When he walked out, there was nothing. The furniture was still in the house and the only thing that was missing was some of his parents clothing. That was it for poor Matt. He left the house with nothing but his Gameboy and one of his games. He was found only two weeks after he had left.

Near was a genius. Even at his young age, that was obvious. Of course, being as young as he was, he was naïve and that often hid his genius from the other children of Wammy's. Near had been left at Wammy's House a year ago, simply left in front of the gate. When he first arrived, he didn't speak at all and everyone figured that he was mute. However, it was when Roger had decided to have Near share a room with Matt and Mello that Near had finally said something. Matt had made the mistake of tripping over one of Near's toys. Mello had convinced Near to tell them why he had never spoken before and Near said that his parents had told him not to speak at all. He wasn't supposed to speak. It was still a rare occurrence for Near to say anything, but when he did, Mello and Matt couldn't help but grin. Mello had to admit, the kid was cute.

Mello sighed quietly at the memories of arriving at Wammy's and meeting Near and Matt. When he had first arrived, he figured it would be hell for him. Wasn't an orphanage supposed to be a miserable place? But then he had met Matt, a child that was cut off from the rest of the world with his games and computer. He was assigned to share a room with Matt when he had arrived. Though Mello didn't like communicating with people, he also didn't like feeling ignored. That's what it had seemed Matt had been doing. He stared at the screen of his Gameboy, not once acknowledging him. Mello reached over and turned Matt's Gameboy off. Matt yelled. Mello yelled back. Yeah, they go along great after that.

They were all like brothers. Mello just couldn't see himself without Matt and Near and he vaguely wondered if Matt and Near felt the same. He shook his head as Near once again 'defeated' Matt.

"Wow, Near. Keep this up and you're going to be better than me one day," Matt said, once again starting a new game. He smiled slightly when he heard Near giggle quietly.

"Hey! Wait!" Mello, Matt, and Near looked over their shoulders and to the door to their room. A kid leaned against the door frame, panting heavily. It looked like he ran clear from the other end of the building.

Mello scowled at the kid coldly. He despised other people. "What do you want?" Mello snapped.

The kid ignored him and took a deep breath. "Roger just called for a meeting in the dining hall. He says it's important."

Matt sighed lazily and turned off the PS2. "Sorry Near. Guess we'll have to finish when we're done, okay?"

Near nodded, not bothering to hide his disappointment. He slowly stood up, his white pajamas hanging off his form loosely. They were obviously too big on him, but he didn't seem to mind it. The kid rushed off, apparently going to tell the other kids.

"What could possibly be so important?" Mello grumbled, climbing off of his bed. He walked over and picked Near up slowly. "Come on Matt. The sooner we get through this, the better."

The next chapter will be much longer. I'm only posting this much to see if anyone actually reads it. Review if you want it continued.


	2. Chapter 2

Yay! Three reviews already…so, I guess I can write more today. I didn't write that much after all…Oh, and somebody asked what was written on Mello's back. That will come in later, so you'll have to read on to find out. Thanks to the two who reviewed!

Chapter 2:

Near curled a piece of hair around his index finger nervously. There were so many people crammed into the dining hall. All of the orphans, the caretakers, the teachers, and, of course, Roger were crammed into the room. Though the room was huge, it seemed as though they were all locked into a small closet. Near didn't like being around so many people at once. He stood slowly and pushed his chair closer to Matt and Mello. Matt noticed and smiled at him.

"Near, why don't you switch seats with me?" he asked. "That way you'll be between Mello and I. You won't have to worry about sitting near any of these other losers." One kid sitting beside Near gave Matt a dirty look at the insult. Matt just ignored him and stood up, switching seats with Near.

"Okay," Near mumbled softly, crawling over to sit in the seat that Matt had been occupying. Matt plopped down carelessly. He looked around and frowned.

All of the teachers and caretakers had grim looks on their faces; eyes narrowed and frowns on their faces. Something just didn't feel right. There was tension in the air and Matt could feel it. He leaned pass Near and tapped Mello's shoulder. Mello glanced back at him.

"Mello, something's wrong. What's going on?" Matt asked. Matt was frowning as well, matching the looks on the adults' faces.

Mello shook his head and looked around. "I'm not sure, but I'm sure we'll find out soon," he grumbled as Roger began to speak.

"Please, all of you quiet down!" he yelled over the noise of the children speaking to one another. The children all quieted down and looked at Roger with attention. Roger sighed. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Some kids whispered quietly among one another, already starting rumors that would be short lived. Some of the kids laughed and others gasped. However, they all quieted as Roger continued.

"I-I'm afraid that," Roger took a deep breath and sighed miserably. "I'm afraid that we are being forced to shut down the orphanage."

Everyone was quiet. Some of the kids didn't breath. Some of the kids let out a choked sob. Mello, Matt, and Near just stared. Mello and Matt's eyes were wide with shock. Near just seemed confused.

There were so many things that could be shut down. If you shut down a computer, you're turning it off. If you shut down a gaming system, you're turning it off. If you shut down a business, you're firing all of the workers. But what would happen if you shut down an orphanage. You couldn't just fire orphans. Near cocked his head and looked at Mello to ask him, but Mello didn't give him the chance to ask a question.

"What do you mean it's being shut down?" Mello asked incredulously. "You can't just shut down an orphanage! What's going to happen to us? Are they just going to throw us all out on the street?"

All the kids began to yell and sob. Some of them had been passed from orphanage to orphanage and they had thought that they were finally safe to settle down. Now they were just being forced out?

"Quiet down!" Roger yelled. All of the children quieted themselves once more and looked at Roger sadly and brokenly. "You are not going to be forced out on the streets. We're going to be sending you to different orphanages all over England. However, I'm afraid I can't assure you that you will be sent to the same orphanage as your friends."

Mello's eyes widened and he sat down slowly. He may not…be with Matt and Near. He could live with going to a different orphanage, if only if were with Matt and Near. But to just be separated from them, just like that…Mello felt his eyes burn with tears. It just wasn't fair.

Near looked around the room. Children were crying and clinging to one another sadly. He could see Mello's eyes beginning to shine with unshed tears. He looked back at Matt and frowned. Matt was hiding his eyes, covering them with his signature goggles that he had had for as long as anyone could remember. He had his head lowered and his breathing was noticeably uneven. Matt only wore his goggles over his eyes when he was nervous or when he was crying. Near just didn't understand.

Matt grabbed the orange-tinted goggles that rested at the top of his head and pulled them down slowly. He could feel his eyes beginning to water. He lowered his head slowly and allowed his hair to cover his eyes. His shoulders began to shake as sobs racked his small body. He didn't want to be separated from Mello and Near.

"I'm sorry," Roger murmured quietly to all of them. "I understand that all of you have been through a lot and you finally thought that you had found somewhere where you could stay, however, that's no longer the case. Within the next two weeks, I will talk to the people of the other orphanages and make arrangements to have all of you sent to one or another. I'll do my best to keep you all together with those you care about, but I'm not positive that I can. For now, all of you should go back to your rooms and get some rest. Good night."

With that, they were dismissed to their rooms for the night. Mello carried Near back to the room numbly. He couldn't believe that this was happening. He glanced over at Matt and sighed. The gamer was walking while slouched over and his hands were stuffed into his pockets. He kept his head lowered, hiding his face from view.

They entered their room sluggishly. Matt immediately went over to his bed that sat against the wall and lay down. He turned away from Mello and Near, facing the wall, and clenched his eyes shut tightly. Mello sighed. He wanted to say something to comfort his friend, but at this point, he was pretty sure that nothing could be said to help. He sat down on his own bed and sat Near down beside him. Now that no one was around, Mello knew it was coming…

"Mello, what's going on?" Near asked in his soft voice. Mello flinched at the question, though he had known it was coming. He saw the confused look that Near had been giving him in the dining hall. How could he explain it to Near without upsetting him. It wasn't easy. Near was a smart child.

"Well," Mello began. He rubbed his head. "Something happened. Now, the orphanage has to close down. Because of that, they're going to have to send all of us away to different orphanages."

"Oh," Near murmured. He reached up and began to twist a strand of hair between his fingers. "Why is that such a bad thing? It's just another orphanage."

"Because, Near," Matt suddenly broke in. He turned over so that he was facing both of them and lifted his goggles off of his head. "We may have to go to different orphanages. That means that we won't be able to see each other anymore."

Near flinched slightly and lowered his hand slowly. "But, I don't want to go to a different orphanage. I want to stay with both of you."

"None of us want to get separated, Near," Mello sighed. He didn't know how Near would manage. Mello and Matt were the only ones that Near would speak to. How could he make it without them?

"Hey, we still have a chance of getting put in the same orphanage. We just got to wait," Matt said, trying his best to grin. Mello sighed. That was Matt. Always trying to see the best in every situation.

Two weeks later:

Mello, Matt, and Near walked into Roger's office slowly. All of the other orphans were gone, sent to different orphanages all around England. They had just been called into Roger's office. This was it.

Roger watched sadly as they walked into his office. What he was about to say…he knew it would be devastating to all of them. "Well, Mello, Matt, Near," Roger sighed softly. "I have some bad news."

Mello flinched but kept quiet. He knew it. There was no way that they would be sent to the same orphanage as one another. He lowered his head slowly as Roger continued.

"Nearly all of the orphanages are full from the other kids we sent. We spoke to the ones that still have a little room left, but," Roger sighed heavily and closed his eyes. They are refusing to take Mello and Near in. They think that you two are special cases. I'm not sure why they refuse Near, but they will not allow you in, Mello, because of your anger."

Mello clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. "So they won't accept me and Near. What about Matt?"

Roger glanced at Matt. "They said that they would accept him. They don't believe there is anything…abnormal about him."

Matt growled and glared at Roger. "I'm not going! Not without Mello and Near!"

"Matt, please be reasonable," Roger begged. He expected this.

"No! I'm not going!" Matt turned away angrily.

"Matt, you're going," Mello murmured. "This is your chance to actually get to stay somewhere. Near and I will be fine."

The door suddenly opened without any warning. A slouched figure walked in slowly, hands stuffed into his pockets.

"None of this will be necessary, Roger. Watari told me everything and I would prefer it if these three were not separated. Instead," the man seemed to think over what he was about to say carefully. "I would like to…adopt them, I suppose."

Mello, Matt, and Near all looked back. Near wasn't sure who the man was, but Mello and Matt seemed to. There eyes were eyes were wide in astonishment.

"L…" Mello mumbled in shock.

Well, there we go! Second chapter up and I hope to get more reviews!


	3. Chapter 3

Well, I didn't get as many reviews as I would have liked, but that's okay…I just hope more people review to encourage me to update more and quicker. I'll warn you all now, if I think that people are losing interests in the stories I write, I stop updating. Just a fair warning.

Chapter 3:

Mello laughed bitterly to himself. There stood Matt, Near, and himself, all waiting for Watari to arrive and take them to their new home. Mello couldn't deny that he was excited, but knowing all of the things that had happened to them all throughout their lives, anything could happen to ruin his moments of happiness. They weren't permitted to take anything with them, but the clothes on their backs, so that was definitely a downside. It didn't matter to any of them though. They would all have a warm place to live, eat, and sleep and they were all together. Mello smiled slightly at that. Yes, they would be together.

Mello watched as a black limousine pulled up in front of Wammy's House. Watari stepped out of the driver's side and gave the three of them a sad smile.

"Come along then," he murmured, opening the back door on the passenger's side. "It's awfully cold for the three of you to be standing out here without any coats. Besides, we need to get you three settled in."

Mello nodded slowly and allowed Matt to get in first. He looked back at Near, waiting for him to get in, but Near didn't move. He was afraid. Mello frowned and sighed. What could he do to calm Near's fears? Near had heard so many bad stories about the other children's parents; parents that were abusive and neglected their children. Mello couldn't blame Near.

"Near, it's okay," Mello grabbed Near's hand and pulled him closer to the limo. "No one will hurt you. Not all parents are bad, Near."

Near looked up at Mello with his blank eyes, but Mello could see the fear practically shining in them. Mello tugged on Near's hand harder, trying to get him inside the limo. Near stumbled forward and allowed Mello to push him into the awaiting vehicle. He was afraid, but he had Mello and Matt with him. He knew he would be safe. Mello and Matt wouldn't let anything happen to him.

Mello followed Near and sat down, looking in surprise as he noticed L sitting across from them, knees pulled to his chest and the tip of his thumb resting between his lips. Mello hadn't expected L to actually accompany them to their new home. He figured he would be too busy with his detective work. L seemed to notice Mello's surprise and pulled his thumb from his mouth. He let a small, nearly unnoticeable, smile cross his lips.

"Do not look so surprised, Mello. I did adopt the three of you, and I don't see a reason why I should adopt you and then just leave you to Watari. That wouldn't be fair to anyone," L glanced out one of the windows. "If I did that, wouldn't you be better off living on the streets?"

"Would we be?" Near suddenly asked in a quiet voice, not meeting L's gaze. L smiled more, eyes widening slightly.

"I don't think so," L mumbled. "Are you afraid that I am going to be a bad parent?"

Near didn't respond and lowered his head a little more. He shifted, scooting closer to Mello.

"I have never been a parent before," L continued. "However, I think that I am capable."

Near shyly raised his head and looked up at L with his wide eyes. "You 'think'? How can you be so sure?"

L put his thumb back to his lips thoughtfully, thinking Near's question over carefully. "I was an orphan as well, Near. I would never make the same mistakes my parents made. I would never make the mistakes that any bad parent made if it was in my power. I assure you, I will do my best to raise you as children should be raised," L leaned closer to the three boys, whispering so that Watari couldn't hear. "Truthfully, I don't approve of Wammy's House's methods of raising children. Though education is important, children should be free to be children."

Mello blinked and nodded in agreement. Honestly, Mello never thought that he would hear something like that from L. Mello smiled slightly. Maybe things would be better with the detective. Mello sighed and glanced over at Matt, eyes widening. In the other boy's hands was a Nintendo DS.

"Matt! We weren't supposed to bring anything with us!" Mello yelled. Matt jumped, dropping the DS onto the floor of the limo. He looked at Mello and smiled nervously.

"I-I know that! But…I figured it would be fine as long as Roger didn't notice. Besides, it's so boring just sitting here!" Matt rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and picked up his game. "After all, Mello, I wouldn't talk if I were you. I saw you sneak that chocolate bar into your pocket before we walked out of the room! Hypocrite!"

Mello's face flushed in embarrassment and anger. He was sure that Matt and Near wouldn't notice… "Well, taking a chocolate bar isn't as bad as taking a game! It isn't as expensive. That isn't technically your game, Matt! It rightfully belongs to the orphanage."

Matt sulked and shoved the game into the pocket of his jeans. "Aww, who's gonna miss it?" Matt asked. "It's not like the orphanage is going to have anymore kids in it. I doubt Roger will ever notice."

Mello sighed and nodded in agreement. It was true. No one would ever live there again, so he doubted that the loss would be noticed. He shrugged his shoulders and snatched his chocolate bar out of his pocket, unwrapping it and immediately snapping a piece off.

L watched in mild amusement as Matt and Mello argued back in forth, Matt trying to defend himself from Mello's accusations. Finally, Mello seemed to give up and quieted down. L noticed a movement from beside Mello and watched as little Near's eyes widened and he slowly pulled out a robot out from under his far too large pajama shirt. Ah, life was going to be so much more interesting.

* * *

Watari opened the door of the limo, watching as Mello slowly climbed out, carrying a sleeping Near with him. Apparently, three hours in a car was too much for the youngest child. Mello sighed heavily and stretched his legs as he stood, his legs having fallen asleep long ago. Mello looked back as he heard a loud gasp. Matt was staring pass him, mouth agape in wonder.

"Whoa," was all that Matt said. Mello gave Matt a strange look and turned around, eyes widening at the mansion towering over him.

It was obviously large, holding three floors, not counting the attic and basement. Mello supposed it could easily accommodate twenty people or so comfortably. There were probably more than twenty bedrooms in the building. Mello looked over at L as the man got out of the limo. He seemed amused by their reactions.

"It's a large house for just two people to live in, Watari and myself, so I suppose it will be nice to have more people to live with us. Regrettably, your rooms will take some time to finish. However, you can stay in the other rooms until your respective rooms are finished," L looked at Mello. "Perhaps I should show you to a room to put Near."

Mello nodded and opened his mouth, but was cut off by Matt's exclamation. "You mean we get our own rooms?" Matt asked excitedly.

"Of course," L looked back at Matt. "I would never expect you all to share the same rooms when I have so many available."

"This PWNS!" Matt yelled excitedly. Mello rolled his eyes at Matt's wording, but he wholeheartedly agreed.

Well, it's short. Sorry, but I need to be motivated to write more. Well, I hope you all like it so far. If you do, I hope you review, especially if you want me to update.


	4. Chapter 4

Yay! I'm glad that so many of you seem to like this story! I'm definitely going to continue it!

Chapter 4:

Mello groaned and gently lay Near on the bed. L had shown them the entire downstairs and then insisted that Mello choose a room on the third floor for Near to sleep in. Apparently, their actual rooms were on the second floor and still being worked on. L wouldn't let them see it, so perhaps he wanted it to be a surprise. Mello glanced at Near and lightly shook out his own arms. Near was heavy when he had to carry him for nearly and hour.

Mello pulled the covers over Near and stood, getting ready to walk out, but he stopped himself. Near hadn't been awake when they arrived. Near would have no idea where he was, where to go, or how to find him. The house was far too big for little Near to even guess. Mello shrugged and climbed into bed next to Near, laying his hands behind his head and staring up at the ceiling. Mello could feel his eyes slowly closing, but before he finally fell asleep…

"Mello!" Matt's voice called and the door slammed open. Mello groaned and looked over at Matt warily. Matt was holding a laptop excitedly, staring at the screen and not paying attention to where he was walking. He plopped on the bed and grinned. "Mello, you should see L's security system. It may take me forever, but I'm going to hack this thing."

Mello scowled and shook his head. "First off, where did you get that laptop? Secondly, you can't just hack L's system. He's a detective that handles cases all over the world. He doesn't need his security weakened."

"Come on, Mello! I'm not going to weaken his system. I'm not an amateur hacker, ya know? It won't cause any harm to his system, it will just let me see what's going on from now on. I'll have access to all security cameras and all the information that he keeps on his computers," Matt grinned and sat the laptop down. "And, as for where I got the laptop, L gave it to me."

Mello rubbed his head. "Well, as long as you didn't steal it…" Matt made a sound of protest. "I'm just saying; I wouldn't put it passed you to take something that you want."

"I would never go so low as to steal something!" Matt grinned sheepishly. "Except for my game, but no one would have used it otherwise." Mello rolled his eyes.

"Whatever," Mello blinked, eyes widening slightly. "Oi, Matt? You said you can see all of his files?"

Matt looked at Mello in surprise. Mello never seemed interested in his hacking abilities. "Well, yeah. It might take me awhile to break through, depending on how strong his firewall is, but I should be able to see everything when I'm done."

Mello let a slight smirk break through. "Well then, tell me when you're done, will ya?" Mello reached into his pocket and pulled out another chocolate bar. L had given him this one before he had left to put Near in bed. He ripped off the foil and nibbled on it thoughtfully.

Matt looked at Mello suspiciously, glancing at the computer screen for a moment and then back at Mello. "Why are you so interested in my hacking all of a sudden?"

Mello glanced at Matt and hummed quietly. "Well, don't you think it would be interesting to solve cases like L does? If you can get into his system, we can use all of that information to help him solve cases, in secret of course."

Matt raised an eyebrow at Mello. "Mello, L is the greatest detective in the world. I doubt he needs help from three little kids. Besides, how is it helping him if we're working in secret? We can't tell him that we're hacking his system to spy on the cases that he's working on. Did you know that hacking other people's systems is technically a crime?" Matt shook his head nervously. "I just don't think it's a good idea."

Mello gave Matt a strange look. "Matt, you were never worried about hacking before. Isn't it you who told me when we first met that, "hacking is an art, not a crime"? Make your hacking worth something!"

Matt sulked to himself and grumbled. "Fine, but I'm not happy about it." Nevertheless, Matt immediately began typing away on his new laptop, setting up the necessary programs.

"Aww, you're such a good boy," Mello said teasingly. Matt looked up from the screen long enough to glare, before continuing with his business. "I'm just kidding. This might be a nice hobby for us, right Matt?"

"I don't know," Matt grumbled. "Maybe I'll just stick with hacking and you can do the rest of the work."

Mello rolled his eyes and snapped a fairly large piece of chocolate off of the bar. "You know you want to help."

Matt didn't answer and the room was silent except for the sound of the keys clicking. A small groan made both Mello and Matt look towards Near. Near was curled into a ball, the tip of his thumb tucked into his mouth. He opened his eyes slightly and stared at Mello and Matt.

"Hi," he murmured sleepily. He pulled his thumb out of his mouth and looked around in confusion. "W-where are we?" he asked quietly.

"We're at L's home," Matt muttered. His attention was once again on the laptop that hummed as it began to grow warm.

"Our home," Mello corrected. He looked at Near who was looking at the laptop in confusion. "L gave it to him. He said that he had something for you as well, but you weren't awake. I'm sure he'll give it to you later."

"What's he doing?" Near inquired, watching as Matt typed rapidly. Matt grumbled an incoherent answer and Mello rolled his eyes once more.

"He's getting ready to hack L's system," Mello grinned as Near's eyes widened. "We're going to use L's system to find information so that we can try to solve cases like him."

"But, that's wrong, isn't it?" Near asked. Matt let out a sound of victory.

"I told you! Near agrees with me!" Matt yelled, looking up once more. "This could be a bad idea, Mello."

"It could be, but I'm sure L will understand, and that's if he finds out," Mello sat up and stretched.

"Damn, you're stubborn," Matt grumbled. He looked back at the computer and began his work once more.

"If Mello thinks its okay, then maybe it will be…interesting," Near murmured. Mello smirked.

* * *

L watched the scene in amusement. The camera was recording their entire conversation. So they wanted to hack his system and try to solve the cases that people trusted him with? L reached over and pressed a few keys on the keyboard. Matt was a good hacker, but not good enough to break through his system. L shut down a couple of his firewalls, but left enough up to challenge Matt's ability. They would see how good Matt was with hacking soon enough. L chuckled to himself as Matt insisted to Mello that it was a bad idea. Perhaps Matt didn't think he could hack his system…

L reached over and grabbed a hand full of sugar cubes. He dropped them one at a time into the cup of tea that was sitting near him. It was time to get back to work for him, but he kept the video of the three children. It would be interesting, to see if they were capable of solving cases as he did. They wouldn't have as many resources as he did and they wouldn't be provided any special equipment, so if they were able to successfully solve the cases that he was assigned…

* * *

Crimson eyes widened in surprise as something flashed across the computer screen. Was it possible? But why would he…?

"Why would L shut down his own firewalls?" A dark chuckle echoed through the practically empty room. "L, you're slipping. Kyahahaha."

A pale hand reached into a jar filled with strawberry jam and pulled out a hand full. The jam splattered on a messy white shirt. The figure lifted his hand to his mouth and licked his hand clean nonchalantly.

"This may be the perfect opportunity," the figure muttered, wiping his hand on his blue jeans. "Things are finally getting interesting."

Well, I thought the ending was an interesting twist. Hahaha. Well, hope you all enjoy!


	5. Chapter 5

Wow…I'm getting hooked on my own story! ^_^; Oh well, I guess it's not necessarily a bad thing, right? I am updating a lot! Well, thanks for the reviews and all of your support thus far!

Chapter 5:

Matt sighed tiredly and stared at the glowing screen of his laptop. The laptop was growing warmer with every hour, but Matt was too determined to let it rest. He had managed to break through a couple of the firewalls, and it was a victory to be savored. L's system was well protected, more so than Matt had originally thought. Progress was being made, however, and he was ready to finish.

Matt had long since retired to an empty room, growing tired of the distractions that Near and Mello were causing. He needed to work in peace and needed to be left alone. That had been hours ago. Now, Matt was working diligently, breaking through little by little. He found himself silently wishing that he had never accepted the challenge.

Reluctantly, Matt looked over at the stand that sat beside his bed. The clock was glowing and eerie green, showing that it was three in the morning. Matt groaned. He had stayed up this long, so there was really no point in trying to get some sleep now. Turning back to his laptop, Matt continued his search for some sort of opening in L's system.

* * *

Beyond Birthday hummed quietly as his computer struggled to break through L's first firewall. He most certainly wasn't an expert at hacking, but he knew enough to keep from getting caught. B's eyes widened slightly. The firewalls were breaking open, but no due to him. Someone else was breaking through. He supposed it made sense. L had probably made many enemies. B put his thumb to his mouth thoughtfully. This person seemed to be having a much easier time than he was.

"I doubt that this person has a stronger security than L. If I can hack into this person's computer…" B began to make the necessary changes. "If I can just get into this person's computer, when they manage to break through L's security, I'll be in as well. I'll have access to everything L has."

B chuckled to himself as his computer began to break work its way through the hacker's computer. It was obvious that this person was good at hacking, but something surprised B.

"Either this person is an idiot, or his computer is new. They must have gone straight to work once they bought it. It has no protection running," B snorted. "All the easier for me. Huhuhu…no, hmhmhm…damn." B sighed. He couldn't find a laugh that suited him.

B growled angrily in realization. That was right. He never had a real laugh. He was never allowed to laugh. That damned orphanage…B suddenly smirked. He had heard that Wammy's House was shut down due to bankruptcy. The thought of that…B laughed darkly, one that seemed to suit him perfectly. Now, it was time to send a little message to L. Let the games begin.

* * *

Mello groaned as sunlight washed over his face. Mello pulled one of the pillows over his face, trying to block the sun from blinding him, but a noise startled him. It was a quiet giggle. There was only one person in the room that he remembered…

Mello sat up quickly and blinked in confusion. Near was sitting on the floor, slowly putting a puzzle together, piece by piece. A blank puzzle. The puzzle was nothing but a sheet of white, certainly difficult to anyone who had no patience, but Near didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, Near seemed quite happy with it.

Beside Near, L was watching Near put the puzzle together, occasionally helping him when Near couldn't seem to find a piece that would fit. Mello smiled slightly. Near didn't seem to trust L yesterday, and apparently L had noticed. He was trying to gain Near's trust and Mello wanted to laugh. L seemed to be a softy, now that Mello thought about it.

"Mello's up," Near murmured quietly to L, not looking up from the puzzle. L blinked and turned his head to look at Mello.

"Good morning, Mello," L muttered, picking up a piece of Near's puzzle and handing it to him. Near made a sound of excitement and clicked the piece into place, another giggle emitting from his throat. "Would you like to help us?"

Mello blinked and shook his head. "I'm not a big fan of puzzles," he said simply. "Well, not those kinds of puzzles," Mello corrected.

L nodded and turned back to Near. "Watari will be bringing breakfast soon. Matt wasn't interested in eating though. It looks like he's been awake all night, fiddling with that laptop that I gave him. Perhaps he was nervous about staying somewhere new?"

Mello nodded hastily, turning away from L. "Well, Matt has always been big with computers and video games. Matt has a habit of staying up for an entire night, fiddling with either one, though he usually plays with his video games."

L put his thumb to his mouth, nibbling on the nail thoughtfully. "Really? What could Matt possibly do on the computer for an entire night?"

Mello still didn't meet L's gaze, but looked over at the chocolate bar that was left over from yesterday. He picked it up and opened it once more. "I don't know. He probably plays Solitaire on it. You'd have to ask him."

"Oh, I suppose it makes sense. Matt does seem to enjoy video games," L said, his voice sounding strange…almost teasing…

"Yeah…" Mello muttered, looking at L suspiciously. Watari suddenly entered, pushing a cart of breakfast food into the room.

"L, I made extra, just incase Matt does decide to eat," he murmured. He stopped the cart in the middle of the room. "Also, I contacted the school nearby. They can start school in a week; until you find a suitable tutor, that is."

L nodded his head in approval and Mello's eyes widened. "P-public school?" he asked warily. L nodded once more. "Well, how long do you think it will be until you can get a tutor?"

"I'm unsure. There are not very many people that I can trust, Mello. But, I assure you, I will get a tutor as soon as possible. I was never a fan of public school," L looked at Mello. "I do not think they are good at what they do. They focus on meaningless teachings rather than important things."

* * *

B smirked as he finally managed to break into the other hacker's computer. Already, the hacker had managed to break down the majority of L's firewalls and only a few were left. However, these were the ones that would be hardest to break.

"How good are you, Mr. Hacker?" B asked tauntingly. It would only be a matter of time…B grinned as yet another wall came down. "My time is now, L."

* * *

Matt yawned and stretched his stiff muscles. He had been working on hacking all night, and he was finally getting close. He only had a few more firewalls to go before he was finished. He lay back on the bed and closed his eyes sleepily.

L had visited earlier, only opening the door slightly to ask Matt if he wanted breakfast. Matt politely declined and had immediately continued hacking. Matt's eyes suddenly opened wide. Matt didn't tell L which room he was staying in. He supposed the detective could simply have searched the rooms until he found him, but L seemed decided when he walked in.

Matt gulped nervously and turned his head slowly. There, in the far right corner of the room, was a video camera staring at him innocently. They were probably in all of the rooms…

"Dammit, Mello," Matt growled. "I knew this was a bad idea! L knows…"

Well, there's Chapter 5! Enjoy!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Mello sighed in content, plopping down on the bed. He had just finished eating four chocolate chip pancakes smothered in syrup and a few pieces of sausage. He most certainly wsn't used to eating that much all at once. Mello turned slightly and looked at Near, snickering in amusement.

Near had only taken once pancake and some eggs, but he had put far too much syrup on his plate. His eggs were also covered with the sticky substance and it was getting to be a bit of a mess. Near wasn't bothering with cutting his pancake either. Instead, he stabbed the fork into the pancake and lifted the whole thing up, dripping syrup all over his pajamas and the floor. He was definitely going to need a bath after this.

L watched Near out of the corner of his eye, amusement plain on his face. In one hand, he held a plate with cake on it and in the other hand, between the forefinger and thumb, he held a fork. However, he was too busy watching Near to pay attention to his cake at the moment. Near was far more amusing than cake.

Near looked at Mello pleadingly as his pancake broke apart on the fork and fell back to his plate, splattering syrup all over him. Mello laughed and crawled down beside him, being careful not to sit in any syrup. He took the sticky fork from Near and began to cute the pancake into smaller pieces.

"Thank you, Mello," Near whispered quietly. He grabbed the fork back and picked up a piece of the pancake, eating it before it had a chance to slip off of his fork.

"Yeah," Mello muttered, scooting away from Near. He didn't feel like becoming a sticky mess. "You need to learn how to use eating utensils properly."

Near gave Mello a strange looked and cocked his head to the side. "There is…a certain way to use a spoon and a fork?" Near asked, looking genuinely confused. Mello shook his head.

"Yes, there is. For instance," Mello reached over and grabbed Near's hand that was holding the fork. He shifted Near's fingers so that they were no longer curled around the fork as if he were holding a shovel. "You are taking the expression of shoveling food into your mouth too literally. Just hold it with three fingers instead of your whole hand."

Near nodded and moved his hand, trying to eat as Mello had told him too, but let out a small whine. "It feels weird. I don't like it."

Mello sighed and shrugged. "Oh well, you can't blame me for trying. I guess you're young enough to get away with it."

Near shifted the fork, once again gripping it with his entire hand and continued to eat as he had been earlier. Mello stood and moved back to the bed, a safe distance away from the splattering syrup.

Suddenly, Mello felt a hand grab the back of his shirt and he was being dragged out of the room. He noticed Near and L look behind him questioningly and glanced back at the red-head. He scowled. "I'm perfectly capable of walking!"

Matt pulled Mello out into the hall and closed the door. Making sure they were out of hearing distance and out of sight from the cameras that watched the hall, Matt pulled Mello closer and whispered something. Mello grinned and nodded his head.

* * *

"Huhuhu, he's finally in. It's about time," B glanced at his computer and began looking through all of the files L possessed. "Ah, there we are. A list of all the students that lived in Wammy's House."

B examined the list thoroughly and grinned, his red eyes shining with amusement. The list contained the list of all the children who were recently dispersed to different orphanages. However, they were scattered all over England.

"Oh well, that just makes thing more interesting," B muttered, reaching to a stand and grabbing a jar of strawberry jam. He yanked the lid off and dipped a finger into the jar. "How should I go about this? Alphabetical sounds fair to me."

He lifted the finger covered in jam to his lips and lightly licked the jam off. So much to do; so little time.

* * *

Matt sighed heavily as Mello began to pace the hall, trying to decide what they should do next. "Umm…Mello, there's something else I need to tell you."

"Hush, I'm thinking," Mello grumbled. He pulled out his chocolate bar, still not finished, and snapped off a piece. Chocolate always made thinking easier.

"But, Mello, it's important," Matt raised his voice, trying to get Mello's attention focused on him.

Mello looked up and glared in annoyance. "What!?" he yelled.

Matt hummed thoughtfully. He was putting Mello in a bad mood as it was, so maybe it wasn't such a good idea to tell him right now…Matt took a deep breath and grinned nervously. "Well, you see," Matt began. "I recently realized that there were…" Matt quieted down and didn't go on.

"What? What is there?" Mello demanded. Matt scratched the back of his head and pointed to one of the cameras in the hall. Mello looked at it blankly then looked back to Matt. "So?"

"So? Mello, there are cameras all over the house. That includes the bedrooms. You know, where we held the whole discussion about hacking into L's computer? Yeah, he has the tape. Mello, L knows what I did!" Matt groaned, nerves getting the best of him. "I've had a home for less than two days and I'm already going to get thrown out. It's all your fault, Mello! I never should have listened to you!" Matt continued ranting as Mello looked at him blankly.

"Matt, you're overreacting," Mello said simply, biting off another piece of chocolate. Matt stopped ranting, staring at Mello with the same blank look.

"Overreacting? You think I'm overreacting!? Mello, hacking into other people's computers is illegal! L is a detective that solves all the injustices of the world! He's not going to just ignore something like hacking, especially since it was his computer that was hacked!" Matt groaned and pulled his goggles over his eyes. It was a sure sign that Matt was highly upset.

Mello sighed and leaned against the wall. "Matt, he hasn't said anything about it. If he knows that you were hacking into his computer, he either doesn't care or he's pretending not to know so that he can see what we do. Either way, you're not in trouble and you're not going to get thrown out!"

Matt fidgeted, thinking over Mello's words. It was true, L hadn't come to stop him from hacking. If L did find out, wouldn't he have stopped him? Matt sighed and glanced at Mello.

"You're sure he doesn't know?" he asked.

"I didn't say he doesn't know. I said that he must not care very much or he would have confronted you about it by now," Mello answered, crumbling up his candy wrapper.

Matt nodded and looked at Mello firmly. What he was going to say was probably going to get him smacked, but that was okay. When Mello didn't punch, he hit like a girl. "Okay, but," Matt took a deep breath. "Maybe we should tell him anyway."

* * *

A shadowy figure walked out from behind the orphanage, thrusting his bloody hand into his pockets and strolling away calmly. Behind the orphanage, was a broken window, and if one looked inside, there hanged a young girl, maybe seven, covered in blood and swinging from a ceiling fan. The light of the moon reflected off of her open, lifeless eyes.

O_O Wow…that's mean…well, there's chapter six. Enjoy it and I'll update asap.


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry for taking so long! I am trying to complete all of my Death Note stories before I start anymore. That way I don't leave a bunch of stories incomplete.

Chapter 7:

Mello pursed his lips and stared at Matt, unblinking. Matt seemed so fearful about L finding out, and now he was suggesting that they tell him? The younger boy needed to make up his mind. But, Mello figured, Matt's fear was justified. The boy had told him about his parents before he had come to the orphanage. His mother was a caring woman who died when he was three years old, but his father was a cruel, abusive man. He was always paranoid that he was being lied to, and that's ultimately why he got rid of Matt. Mello remembered when Matt had told him about it.

_Mello peeked into his, Near, and Matt's shared room, huffing quietly when he didn't see him. He had been searching for him all day. Actually, he was becoming worried. He wasn't at breakfast, lunch, or dinner and he had skipped all of his classes. Sure, Matt hated class, but he loved food and it wasn't like him to disappear without telling him where he went. _

"_Did you find him?" Mello turned and looked at Near who was looking up at him sadly. Apparently he didn't have any luck in his search either._

"_Not yet. Don't worry about him though. Why don't you get ready for bed? I'm going to look outside." Near shook his head._

"_But I want to help you find Matt!" Mello shook his head and lifted Near into his arms, carrying him to the bathroom. He started the water, making sure it was a proper temperature, before setting Near back down._

"_You can help me by getting a bath and going to bed so that I have one less thing to worry about. Please?" Mello watched Near twirl a piece of hair thoughtfully before he finally nodded in agreement._

"_Okay," he said softly, beginning to undress for his bath. Mello nodded and walked out, leaving Near to his bath, and made his way outside. It was the last place he would think to look for Matt, which may just make it the best hiding place for him._

_He was about to give up when he heard a soft sniffle from…above him? He looked up and noticed Matt sitting in a tree above him. But, he was crying. Mello frowned and made is way up the tree so he was sitting on a branch below Matt._

"_Near and I have been looking for you all day! What's wrong with you?" Matt looked down at Mello in surprise, but looked away without answering. Mello sighed and looked below him._

"_I-I'm sorry," Mello glanced at Matt again. "I never really paid attention to it before. It just seemed so pointless, but Roger told me that today is the four-year anniversary of my arrival to Wammy's House. I started thinking about they day I was left here…the day my father just tossed me out."_

"_What happened?" Mello asked quietly, kicking his feet. Him and Near had both told their stories, but Matt's past was a mystery to them._

"_I never did anything wrong…he always said that I lied to him, but I never did. I was too scared to lie. He'd beat me all everyday, about four times a day. It got to the point I didn't even want to talk anymore, but that got me beat twice as hard. Sometimes, I didn't know if I was telling the truth or lying. It just didn't seem to matter anymore. But it kept going until he finally beat me and kicked me out. It doesn't even bother me anymore, but I just can't believe it…I've been abandoned…I've had no family for four years." Matt sniffled again and leaned against the tree, sighing heavily._

"_That's not true Matt. You have me and Near. Sure, we're not your real family and we're not exactly normal, but we're still a family. One big fucked up family." Matt remained quiet before a small laugh broke the silence._

"_You know Mels? Sappy really isn't your thing." Mello huffed and turned away. "I'm just kidding."_

"_Yeah, yeah. Just do me a favor and don't get used to it." Mello began to make his way down the tree._

"_Hey, Mello?" Matt looked down at the blonde boy with a small smile on his face._

"_What?" Mello grumbled as he made it to the bottom. He wasn't really a big fan of heights. He looked up at Matt's smiling face._

"_Thanks," Matt mumbled. "I don't know what I'd do without you." Mello shrugged, and waved him off._

"_I know. You'd be nothing without me," Mello said, but he smiled nonetheless._

"Hello? Mello, I'm talking to you!" Mello snapped to attention and looked at Matt irritated face. "I want to tell L, and you're going to help me. You got me into this, and you're helping me out of it."

"Fine," Mello shrugged nonchalantly and turned back to the room he was in earlier. Matt just gawked at him.

"Fine? No arguments? No hitting me? No violent act at all?" Matt looked over Mello suspiciously.

"No. I'll help you tell L. You're right after all; I did convince you to do this, and if L gets mad about it, it's only fair that I take partial responsibility." Mello opened the door and cleared his throat. "L, Matt and I have something to tell you."

L hummed his consent, showing that he was listening, while he wiped Near off with a wet rag. Near seemed annoyed at the wet cloth, but held still all the same. When Matt only rubbed his arm nervously, Mello sighed and began to speak for him.

"Matt hacked your system. But, it was only because I asked him to. We just wanted to try to solve cases like you do." Mello watched for L's reaction, but he made none. Instead, he continued to clean Near off, almost as if he didn't hear him. "L, did you—"

"I heard you Mello." Finally, L stopped and turned to the two older boys. "Of course, I already knew that you asked Matt to do so. I saw it all on video. You didn't think that I wouldn't notice someone trying to break into my system?" Mello looked away and Matt shifted nervously. "And, if I really had a problem with it, don't you think I would have stopped you?" Matt looked up and cocked his head.

"So…you're not mad?" Matt asked. L seemed to think it over, nibbling on his thumb and looking towards the ceiling, before turning back to them.

"No. But, if you wish to help me with my cases, you could have just asked. I am curious to see how the three of you do without my resources though. What if I give you one case to work on together, with nothing but the documents and suspects and things of that nature? After that, I would be happy to have you three work with me." Mello grinned idiotically and Matt let out a low groan.

"Of course we'll do it! We'll work on one case together, but you promise we can work with you after?" When L nodded, Mello smirked. "Fine. No problem!"

"Aww, come on! Can't we have some time to settle in or something?" Mello scowled at Matt's complaint.

"There's no time for that!" Mello growled.

"I-I wanna help!" Near whined, cutting into the conversation. Mello crossed his arms and gave Matt a smug look.

"See? Even Near wants to start now. How can you deny him Matt?" Matt grumbled quietly to himself, but raised his hands in defeat.

"Okay, fine. I'll help." L looked at all of them, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Oh, yes, life was going to get much more interesting with these three around.

"Unfortunately, Mello, I don't currently have an open case for you to work on. So, you all will have plenty of time to get settled in. As soon as a case is presented to me, I will let you know immediately and you can start your work." L chuckled at Mello's disappointed look.

"Okay," he mumbled. Suddenly, L seemed to realize something and walked out of the room, coming back in a few minutes later with a wrapped box.

"You fell asleep before I could give this to you Near," L said, handing the box to the small albino. Near cocked his head and tore into it, excitedly pulling out a large Transformer robot. "I saw you with your robot yesterday and figured you'd enjoy this one too." Much to his surprise, Near wrapped his small arms around his neck excitedly.

"Thank you!" Near giggled, pulling away and pulling the toy out of its packaging. L nodded, still staring at the boy in surprise.

"Well, I don't think we have to worry about Near not trusting L anymore," Matt whispered, leaning closer to Mello. Mello nodded in agreement, shaking his head at the adorable child.

Mello smiled slightly and looked around the room. This was his family and his home. It was a picture of fractured perfection, but he could be perfectly happy like this. If this what having a real family was like…he could only wonder why things weren't like this from the beginning.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

L watched the monitors in amusement; the three boys were playing outside, hide and seek if he was seeing it right. It wasn't exactly a fair match, seeing as little Near was currently 'it'. Mello and Matt were both hiding in a large tree, hidden from view by the leaves. Unfortunately, poor Near didn't seem to think of the tree as a possibility and had walked around the house nearly three times now. L couldn't help but feel bad for the youngest child.

L cocked his head as the scene was replaced with an old English styled W. "What is it Watari?"

"I know this isn't the type of case you'd usually look at L, but I think you should at least see this," A few pictures popped up along with a written statement. A young child was hanging from a fan, blood covering her entire being and her throat cut. "This is Allison Pininski, also known as Anise. She was a former resident of Wammy's before it shut down. She was found dead this morning. There have been no prints found or any sign of a break in, and suicide is out of the question."

L nodded grimly, looking over the pictures carefully. This seemed to be a simple, yet brutal murder…but said murderer didn't leave any traces or clues. Was it a coincidence that the child had been from Wammy's? It was hard to say at this point, but he had not been called on and he would have to wait to see if the police found any clues before the case truly caught his interest. He saved the pictures and sighed.

"I would like to keep an eye on this Watari. If there is a break in the case, please tell me." Watari muttered, "Understood," before clicking off. The view was changed back to the security cameras and L smiled slightly. Near was clinging tightly to Mello's leg, Matt still sitting in the tree laughing.

"I caught you Mello! You're it now!" Near whined, refusing to let go. Mello sighed and tried to shake the boy off.

"But, you didn't find Matt yet. You have to find Matt before I'm officially it." Near poked his lower lip out.

"I know that Matt's in the tree! I can hear him laughing…" Matt grinned from his position in the tree and kicked his feet nonchalantly.

"You have to tag me first Near!" Matt called, smirking as Near looked up with wide eyes. "Come on, Near! You know where I am! Come and get me!"

Near sniffled quietly, looking at the tree nervously. He didn't like heights and he'd never climbed a tree before. Near blinked when he felt something plop into his hand. A rock. He looked up at Mello and cocked his head curiously.

"Just smack him with that; that'll knock him out of the tree for you," Near blinked and nodded. Looking up at Matt, Near carefully aimed and tossed the rock at the redhead. Suddenly, Mello began to laugh hard, holding his stomach. SMACK! Right between the eyes!

"NYAA!!!" Matt cried as he fell from the tree and landed on the ground hard. He held still for a moment, thinking. He didn't feel any pain, so he must have been fine…that is until a body suddenly jumped onto his stomach, knocking the air out of him.

"I win!" Near yelled victoriously. "Now Mello's it!" Mello smirked and stood over Matt, looking down at him. Matt's eyes were closed; his arms and legs were sprawled out precariously. Near cocked his head and poked Matt's chest. "Mello? Is Matt dead?"

"Nah, he's fine. But," Mello smirked deviously and leaned down next to Near. "You want to know how to wake him up, just in case?" Near nodded slightly and allowed Mello to take his hands and lead them to Matt's sides. He ran Near's hands lightly up Matt's sides, Matt snorting and squirming slightly.

"Don't you dare!" Matt growled, moving away from the two. "You know I hate being tickled!"

"Yeah, that's the point," Mello smirked. "But, anyway, I'm it. I'll count to fifty, so you better hurry." Mello walked a short ways away and leaned against a tree, closing his eyes tightly. "One…two…three…" Matt cursed quietly and looked around just in time to see Near waddle, more than run, away to find a place to hide.

"I'd better go with him," Matt muttered, following after the albino child. "Hey! Don't go into the bush!"

Near blinked and looked back at Matt, his lower body already half way into the large bushes. "Why?" he asked, reluctantly crawling out. It had seemed like a good hiding place to him.

"You don't know what's in there. There could be poison ivy or some sort of wild animal living in there. Let's just find somewhere safer." Near nodded and followed after Matt, grabbing his hand tightly.

L smiled as he watched them, a small sigh escaping his lips. He never thought he'd see the day he became a father, especially to the three children he was watching innocently play hide and seek. It was somewhat worrisome. He couldn't help but wonder if he would be a good parent to the three children. He was sure they had been hurt enough, so he would certainly do his best.

* * *

Beyond smirked as the news flashed pictures of Allison Pininski. There were no prints or clues found, except that the child was recently transferred from a different orphanage. But it could have easily been a coincidence. He licked his lips deviously and turned back to the computer screen.

There were no B's or C's, so the next would have to be D. Daniel Suso, a.k.a. Devil. He had been more of a bully at Wammy's and was against God, thus his chosen alias. He was a brilliant child, but had other interests besides coming number one. Before the orphanage closed down, he was going to be transferred anyway. Unfortunately for the unsuspecting child, he wasn't moved before the orphanage closed, therefore he was still in Beyond's sights.

"I've hit close to home, L. I'm surprised you haven't already taken the case. But, I suppose it will take more than that to convince you, eh?" He hummed softly, turning back to the television. The names and life spans of the people flashed around in an eerie red glow, mixing together so that they were nearly illegible.

"People go about their worthless lives, thinking that it will mean something in the end. Little do they know, that in the end, it was all for nothing. We are put here for the amusement of a higher power. We live and we die…that's all there is." Beyond turned of the television and walked over to a bed that sat in the corner. "Tonight, Daniel Suso…Devil…will see what the meaning of life is."

* * *

L sat at the dinner table in amusement, nibbling on a piece of cake. Watari had made Mello, Matt, and Near spaghetti for dinner and the youngest child was, once again, making a mess of himself. He would scoop the noodles onto his fork and then, while the noodles dangled from his fork, he would try to land them into his mouth. Unfortunately, most of the noodles were falling before he caught them in his mouth, so his pajamas were stained with the sauce.

"Uh, Near?" Mello began, watching him drop a fork full onto the floor. However, remembering his unsuccessful attempt to help him earlier that morning, he shrugged and allowed him to continue on. "So, L? Are there any cases yet?"

"Not yet Mello. Please be patient. I do have some good news though." The three children looked up curiously.

"Good news?" Matt asked, his mouth still full. "What is it?" L smiled slightly and rested his hands on his knees.

"Your individual rooms should be done by the end of tomorrow. Watari will be taking the three of you shopping so that you can furnish it however you wish. And also, you will be starting school in two weeks time, so you will also be shopping for supplies. However, there is a problem with Near." Near stopped eating when he heard his name and looked at L attentively.

"What's wrong with Near?" Mello asked, looking at the white haired boy. "He'd do fine in school. He's a genius after all."

"I understand that, but do you understand that he's not old enough to start kindergarten? He could go to preschool, but I feel he'd find it boring and would not enjoy the company of the other, less intelligent children his age. So, since preschool is optional, I will leave the decision to him. If he wishes, he can start and see if he likes, and stay here if he chooses not to go this year." Near nodded slowly and looked between Matt and Mello.

"But…will I be in class with Mello and Matt?" L shook his head. "What will I do without them? I don't like other kids!"

"I know Near. That's why I'm giving you the chance to decide. If you wish to stay here while they're at school, you can do so. Once you reach kindergarten, you'll have to go…unless I were to hire a tutor for you." Near sighed and looked at his food.

"So, I'll still have to be without Mello and Matt during the day?" Near asked, fiddling with the ends of his sleeves.

"Watari and I will still be here. I'll be happy to stay with you for the time Mello and Matt are gone. Don't rush yourself though. You have two weeks to decide." Near nodded and continued to eat.

"So, we get to buy anything we want tomorrow?" Matt asked, trying not to sound too conspicuous.

"Yes, and as much as you want. Of course…you have a certain limit to the amount of money you each spend. Watari will tell you when you've hit that limit." L looked up as Watari began to sit out the dessert for the kids. After he left, Mello looked at L and cocked his head.

"L? If you have so much money, why did they have to close down Wammy's?" L nibbled on his thumb thoughtfully, using a fork to poke his cake with his other hand.

"Considering he is the owner, Watari handles the orphanages. I'm not sure where things went wrong, but I'd rather you not ask Watari. He feels horrible about what happened." Mello nodded and sighed. He hated not knowing things, but he wouldn't ask.

"Uh, is that chocolate cake?" Mello asked instead, his attention turning to the dessert. L nodded and Mello reached for it, cutting off a large piece for himself.

"I want a piece too!" Near called, reaching for it. Mello blinked and cut a smaller piece for him.

"What about me?" Matt asked, sulking when Mello shrugged and took a large bite.

"You can get a piece yourself. You're a big boy," Mello said, laughing when Matt shook his chair roughly. "Just get it yourself!"

L sighed. Nothing would be quiet anymore. But, he supposed it was better than the silence that usually met his every day. Life could be more enjoyable for him now. He had something more than solving cases to live for.

* * *

Blood sprayed against Beyond's face, but it didn't seem to bother him in the least. Instead, he licked his lips, tasting the metallic substance on his tongue. Oh, how he enjoyed the taste of blood…

Daniel convulsed, blood welling up in his mouth. He pressed his hands over his stomach, trying to stop the blood from pouring from the open wound.

"You know, I can't help but wonder…" Beyond moved Daniel's hands from his stomach and reached into the wound, his whole hand entering the poor boy. Daniel screamed and squirmed, weakly fighting, but it was no use. Beyond began to withdraw his hand, the intestines following soon after. "Do you think your intestines can support your weight? I do." Slowly, he wrapped the organ around Daniel's neck and the opposite end around his bedpost. He pushed the bed closer to the window and smiled down at Daniel cruelly.

"This is nothing against you. I will get to L somewhat. You can blame him for all this…" Suddenly, he grabbed him and tossed him out the opened window, a loud snap following from his neck. "Hmm…so the intestines are much stronger than I thought…Kyahahaha…"

His second murder. This would certainly catch L's attention. He couldn't wait for their game to truly begin.

Ehehe…a little creepy at the end there. What do you expect? It is B.B we're talking about after all…Review if you want to!


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